Are we allowed to use calculus on moving about? (1 Viewer)

jathu123

Active Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2015
Messages
357
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2017
So just a small question here, basically, are we allowed to use, and/or get marks for questions if we use calculus in the moving about graphs topic? for example, imagine they give you a displacement/time graph of a car, and it has a perfect parabolic path (or the question also gave you an equation for the motion, although I doubt they will). Lets say they want you to find the instantaneous velocity/acceleration at t=5 (or whatever). Instead of drawing a tangent there and calculating it's gradient (i always get that inaccurately), are we allowed to use differentiation to find it? are we able to get marks that way? or should we only use the traditional way?
 

eyeseeyou

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2015
Messages
4,125
Location
Space
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
I don't think we are. Ask your physics teachers. No one uses calculus in moving about
 

si2136

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2014
Messages
1,370
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Not quite sure, I had the same thought too.

Compare both answers, does it match up?
 

InteGrand

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
Messages
6,109
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
You can use calculus to check your answer, but it's probably best to avoid it as part of your working out (unless you can't see any other way to do it).
 

authenticity

Povo Child
Joined
Jun 8, 2012
Messages
111
Gender
Female
HSC
2015
Sometimes part of the mark comes from drawing the straight dotted line as "working out" or showing the gradient (rise/run). So probably only use it to check your answer. HSC physics isn't designed to have background knowledge of calculus, so the marking criteria defs won't involve it
 

Nailgun

Cole World
Joined
Jun 14, 2014
Messages
2,193
Gender
Male
HSC
2016
So just a small question here, basically, are we allowed to use, and/or get marks for questions if we use calculus in the moving about graphs topic? for example, imagine they give you a displacement/time graph of a car, and it has a perfect parabolic path (or the question also gave you an equation for the motion, although I doubt they will). Lets say they want you to find the instantaneous velocity/acceleration at t=5 (or whatever). Instead of drawing a tangent there and calculating it's gradient (i always get that inaccurately), are we allowed to use differentiation to find it? are we able to get marks that way? or should we only use the traditional way?
very unlikely to happen lol
just do it normally lol - better safe than sorry

i remember drsoccerball tried to use calculus to check an answer on a question in the hsc phys exam last year, and ended up confusing himself
(maybe it was someone else lol)
 

InteGrand

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
Messages
6,109
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
very unlikely to happen lol
just do it normally lol - better safe than sorry

i remember drsoccerball tried to use calculus to check an answer on a question in the hsc phys exam last year, and ended up confusing himself
(maybe it was someone else lol)
I think Drsoccerball did do that. He actually did it right though in the end I think.
 

leehuan

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 31, 2014
Messages
5,805
Gender
Male
HSC
2015
No. Do NOT insert calculus unnecessarily into a NON-calculus course.

If you want to check your answer with it then that is preference.
 

InteGrand

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
Messages
6,109
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
No. Do NOT insert calculus unnecessarily into a NON-calculus course.

If you want to check your answer with it then that is preference.
Didn't Drsoccerball do it in the HSC Physics exam or something?
 

leehuan

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 31, 2014
Messages
5,805
Gender
Male
HSC
2015
Didn't Drsoccerball do it in the HSC Physics exam or something?
I, for one, whilst not really caring about if he used it to check, don't formally approve of if he used the method to actually solve the question
 

porcupinetree

not actually a porcupine
Joined
Dec 12, 2014
Messages
664
Gender
Male
HSC
2015
You can use calculus to check your answer, but it's probably best to avoid it as part of your working out (unless you can't see any other way to do it).
No. Do NOT insert calculus unnecessarily into a NON-calculus course.

If you want to check your answer with it then that is preference.
I second these. Prelim & HSC Physics is designed to be a non-calculus course - there's a probability of exactly 0 that you would NEED to use calculus while working out. In addition, while it may be useful to use calculus in checking your answer(s), the markers do not want to see calculus in your working out.
 
Last edited:

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top